"Talk to him, Novio!" Kyrie says as we're chilling at the park. "I don't wanna talk to his punk ass. Always crying about how we're family but when he fucks up, he treats me like a niggah he know. Not like a brother. I'd be better off by myself. Novia, I have so much money in the bank that if I wanted to, I could get emancipated. And be worry free. I have my own car, I could get a house easily and I'd be straight." I say and look at her. Her eyebrows are pulled together and she's just staring at me. "My parents gave me and Kel 2 bank accounts each. One for college tuition and one for living. Before they died, it was $86,000 in each of our college accounts and $60,000 in our living accounts. After they died, we got 50 grand a piece. So now it's $111,000 in my college account and $85,000 in my living account. My parents may not have loved us but they did want us to go places in life." I say and she kisses my cheek. "You still need to talk to Bro-Bro." "Why? You need to talk him." "Aye, he knows I don't like him. But y'all are brothers and I'd be damned if I sit back and watch y'all fight over something so simple. I know you love Zeny, just like we do. But Kel is your brother. He was there before any of us." Kyrie says and holds my face so I'd look at her. "Alright. But if he pisses me off, I'm not talking to his fuck ass again." I say and she nods before kissing me.
*7:00 p.m.*
I'm hungry as hell, man! I'm rummaging through the cabinets, in need of some sort of sustenance. "Cole!" Novia calls and I peek my head out into the living room to see Kel walking in. I really dislike this niggah right now. "Brodie, lemme talk to you real quick." I say and he sits at the table. "What's up?" "How you came at me was really foul, dude. You can't get mad at how I treat my girl because you fucked up with yours." I say and lean back in my chair. I know how this is finna go. He's gonna find every reason as to why it wasn't his fault that he cheated. "But Azendra expected me to be like you. Do you know how hard it is living in someone else's shadow?" He says. "Yea, I do. I had to live that way for years. And you should've told Zeny not to expect you to be like me. We're 2 whole totally different people and she knows that. But you cheating on her was the dumbest thing you could've done." I say. "You didn't make it any better! All the shit you said." "Listen to yourself, right now. You sound like a dumbass. You obviously forgot how you lashed out at me because of your mistake. I didn't cheat on my girlfriend. I didn't lie to my girlfriend. And I didn't jeopardize the best thing that has happened to me. Unlike you." I say and walk away. That's exactly why I didn't wanna talk to him. He's always playing the victim when he's really the perpetrator. I love my brother to death but he gotta tighten up. I walk into my room and jump on my bed. "So ...?" Kyrie says. "Kel is a bitch ass niggah." I say and she busts out laughing. "I'm serious. He said that Zeny expected him to be like me and he couldn't live up to that. I'm assuming that's why he cheated." "That's stupid." "I know. Anyway, I don't wanna talk about it anymore." I say and she nods. "Wanna go back to the park? It's a clear night." She says and I nod. We start redressing.
*90 minutes later*
"Tray, get your boyfriend." Kyrie calls as she runs around the field. Tresanto and Koley were coolin' at the park, throwing snowballs at one another. "Aye, look!" I say and we turn our heads upwards. "Halo." Kyrie says as she stands in my arms. "It's beautiful." Tray says. "Noire, what do you know about these?" Santos says. "Who the hell is Noire?" Me and Kyrie ask. "Kyrie." "Oh ok. But it's a lunar halo. Some people call them moon halos. Same thing. There are many ways in which a halo will appear. But I'm guessing that the light from the street lamps are attracting ice crystals called diamond dust. And now we have the halo." She says and I look at her. "How the hell do you know that?" I ask. "College program I went to." She says and buries her face in my chest. "Imagine, y'all. We've been through some shit in our lives. But if I didn't believe in God before, I definitely do now." Tray says. And we all nod. "Marshmallow?" I whisper. "Yea?" "If I asked you to run away with me ... right now ... would you do it?" I ask. "Cole, you know I love you with every fiber of my being. But I couldn't even if I wanted to. My family is my world and I can't just up and leave. I'd never be able to live with myself if I do." She says and I nod. "You weren't serious were you?" "Oh no! I just wanted to know what your answer would be." I say and she nods before putting her head in my chest. "Koley, we finna go. Thea, I need to talk to you tomorrow." Tray says and we nod. I pull Novio back to the swings and we just sway in silence. "How did you do it?" I ask. "Do what?" "Continue to be optimistic about everything that you went through? I know I wouldn't be able to do it." I say and she breathes in deep. "I don't know, honestly. I guess I focused on everyone else and made sure they were happy and well. One thing I will say about myself is that if my loved ones are happy, so am I. Even if I feel like hell on the inside, I'd never show it. Anyone who really knows me can see straight through my cover up. But they never say anything because they know that I don't like to be in that type of light. Expressing how I feel and shit. I'm a really protective person. And I plan on staying that way. Even if it means I need to let someone go." She says and looks at me. I get up and hug her. She tries to look so tough but my baby is so sweet and she doesn't deserve the hassle she gets.
